Pocket cigar lighter



Oct. 20, 193 1. c. HARDY 1,828,111

POCKET CIGAR LIGHTER Filed Nov. '7. 1927 33 gum/W601 as Charles Hardg Patented Oct. 20, 1931 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES HARDY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB 1'0 WALES NOVELTIES OOI BIPOBATION, 01 NEW YORK, N. Y A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK rocxnr CIGAR mama Application filed November 7, 19a. Serial No. 231,570.

This invention relates to a cigar lighter and relates more particularly to a pocket lighter of the type in which a friction wheel is rotated in contact with a body of a pyrophoric alloy for producing a spark emission which serves to ignite a fuel containing wick.

In pocket cigar lighters of this class a liquid fuel is contained in a receptacle, the top or cover of which carries the operating parts of the lighter which include a wick holder or tube, a holder for a body of pyrophoric alloy, an actuating means cooperating withthe pyrophoric alloy for producing a spark emission and a snuffer device cooperating with the wick holder and wick. In a well known form of pocket cigar lighters of this class, the snufl'er device and the igniting apparatus are both mounted on the top wall of the fuel receptacle, the construction being such that in operating the cigar lighter, the snufi'er device must first be manually moved from its closed to an open position before the igniting apparatus can be actuated.

A prime object of my present invention centers about the provision of an improved pocket cigar lighter of this type embodying a design and construction in which a single operating movement is made effective for moving the snufier device from its'closed to its open position and for actuating the igniting apparatus.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as will hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the elements and their relation one to the other, as hereinafter more particularly described and sought to be defined in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which show the preferred embodiment of my invention, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved cigar lighter of my invention showing the manner of using the same,

Fig. 2 is an elevational view thereof taken on an enlarged scale and showing the main operating parts thereof, with the snuii'er device shown .in its closed position,

Fig. 3 is a similar view thereof with parts broken away and showing the snuifer device in its open position,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken in the planes of the broken line 44, Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the details of construction of some of the-operating parts thereof.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings, the pocket cigar lighter embodying my improvements comprises, as an entirety, a fuel receptacle 10.having a casing top wall 11, which top wall carries the operating parts of the lighter, which include a holder or tube 12 through which a fuel impregnated wick 13 projects, a holder or tube 14 containing the pyrophoric alloy 15, a friction wheel and actuating mechanism generally desi nated as 16, both cooperating with the sai wick holder 12, with which in turn cooperates a snuifer device 17 movable from a closed snuffing position such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings to an open position such as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

In accordance with my present invention, the operating parts of the cigar lighter are so organized that a single operating movement of the fingerof the user, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, simultaneousl effects the movement of the snufier device 1 to an open position and the operation of the i niting apparatus 16. This is accomplished by interrelating the movable snufr'er device 17 with the igniting apparatus 16 so that the initiation of the operation of the finger wheel of the igniting apparatus 16 automatically effects the movement of the snuifer device to its open position; and in the particular embodiment of the invention hereln exemplified, the construction and the relation of the parts are such that a finger pressure exerted by the thumb of the user in the initiation of themtation of the finger wheel effects the releasing movement of the-snuifer device to the open position as shown by the arrowed line 18in ig. 1 of the drawings, the continued movement of the thumb, as indicated by the arrowed line 19 in said figure causing the wick igniting emission of sparks.

Preferably the receptacle top wall 11 and the su ports for the operating elements of the lig ter are made in the form of a unitarv casting more specifically set forth in my conding ap lication, Serial No. 231,569 filed l ov. 7, 192 the said top wall 11 including a standard or post 20 in which the pyrophoric alloy holder or tube is mounted, a support 21 for pivotally journalling the snuffer device 17 and a housing 22 for a spring plunger device 23 which serves to operate the snufi'er device 17. The tube or holder 14 is provided with the customary tensioning and adjusting means 24 for the pyrophoric body, and the snufier device 17 is provided with a snuffer box 25 which seats over the wick tube or holder 12, and a cover 26 which seats over and surrounds part of the igniting apparatus 16.

The ignitin apparatus 16 comprises in the construction herein exemplified a friction wheel 27 fixed to a sleeve 23, the latter having an integral 0 erating finger wheel 29, these parts: being orce-fitted onto a spindle 30 1ournalled at its to end preferably in a support 31 extending rom and formed integrally with the tube 14 and journalled at its bottom end in the manner to be detailed hereinafter. As will be understood, when the finger wheel 29 is rotated by the thumb of the user, the action of the friction wheel 27 against the pyrophoric alloy 15 causes the production of an emission of sparks which ignites the wick 13.

For accomplishing the desired object of the invention the snuifer device 17 and the igniting apparatus 16 are connected together by a latching and .unlatching mechanism generally designated as 32, the operation of which may be controlled by the pressure which is exerted by the thumb of the user in the initial or starting stage of operation of the finger wheel 29. This latching mechanism comprises a latch element 33 affixed to the snufling device 17 and a complemental latch element 34 which preferably is an upturned part of a lever 35. The lever 35 defines the connecting means between the finger wheel 29 and the latch elements, said lever fulcrumed on the pivot pin 36 having an arm 37 in which the spindle 30 of the igniting apparatus is journalled, the bottom end 38 of said spindle being received by an opening 39 in said lever arm. The latch e ement 34 defines the other arm of said lever 35 and said lever is actuated by a spring 40 housed in a recess 41 formed in the top casing wall 11, one end of said s ring engaging a wall of the recess, as clear y shown in Figs. 2 to 5 of the drawings, the other end of said spring 40 being provided with an upturned end 42 which projects through an orifice 43 in the latch arm of said lever 35.

With this recited construction it will be seen that when the snuffer device 17 is in its closed position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the latch elements 33 and 34 engage and arev held in engagement by the action of the spring 40. When, however, pressure is exerted on the finger wheel 29 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, such pressure is applied by the spindle 30 to the operating arm .37 of the latch lever 35 and is effective for moving the said lever about the fulcrum 36 against the action of the spring 40, such movement causing the latch element 34 to disengage from its complemental latch element 33. When this disengagement is efiected the spring operated plunger 23 acts on the cam element 44 of the snufling device 17 to automatically flip the snuifer device 17 from its closed to the open position, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. This is accomplished merely b the initial pressure normally exerted by t e thumb of the user on the finger wheel which is always just prior to the rotating of the finger wheel so that the natural operating movement of the thumb of the user accomplishes first the opening of the snuffer device and then the igniting of the wick in proper sequential order. The construction is moreover such that the only operation which is necessary to perform the two functions of releasing the 'snuifer for movement to its open position and of igniting the wick, is a rotating movement of the finger wheel 19,1t being the initial pressure exerted on the finger wheel or the initial.

movement of rotation thereof which produces the release of the latching elements. lVhen the finger wheel 29 is in turn released after the cigar lighter has been operated,

the spring 40 returns the latch element 34 will, in the main, be fully apparent from the above detailed description of the con struction and operation thereof. It will be further apparent that while I have shown and described my invention in the preferred form, many changes and modifications may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A pocket lighter comprising, in com bination, a fuel receptacle having a holder for a wick, a snuffer arm oscillatable between open and closed positions, resilient means for moving said snuifer arm from its closed to its open position, sparking mechanism for ignit-- ing said wick including an operating finger wheel mounted on a vertical spindle, means supporting one end of said spindle, an oscillatable plate provided with a bearing for the other end of said spindle, latch means ing the snuflt'er arm in close mounted on said plate for engaging and holdposition, resilient means tending to oscillate said plate in latching position in order to keep the snufier arm closed, the axis of oscillation of the plate and the axis of rotation of the finger wheel being so eccentricall related that rotative pressure applied to t e finger wheel 0scillates the plate and releases the snuifer arm to permit i ition of the wick.

2. A poc et lighter comprising, in combination, a fuel receptacle having a holder for a wick, a snufier arm oscillatable between open and closed positions, resilient means for movingsaid snufier arm from its closed to its open position, sparking mechanism for igniting said wick including an operating finger wheel mounted on a vertical spindle, means supporting the upper end of said spindle, an

oscillatable late mounted closely subjacent said finger w eel and provided with a bearing for the lower end of said spindle, latch means mounted on said plate for engaging and holding the snufi'er arm in closed position, resilient means tending to oscillate said plate in latching position in order to kee the snufi'er arm closed, the axis of oscillation of the plate and the axis of rotation of the finger wheel being so eccentrically related that rotative pressure applied to the finger wheel oscillates the plate and releases the sn'ufier arm to permit ignition of the wick.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York, this 3rd day of November A. D. 1927.

CHARLES HARDY. 

